Promises
by ianlazy
Summary: They were separated. Now he has to fight to find her. [WWII AU]
1. Blue Flowers

**This is a WWII AU sorta. It's in the snk universe only 1940s like. I'm American so the soldiers might be described using American uniforms from WWII and using American equipment. This is my first fanfic so I apologize for any mistakes I made. Enjoy!**

**I dont own snk. I wish I did.**

Promises

Chapter 1:Blue Flowers

Eren always loved the outdoors in Shiganshina. His bright eyes would watch as the long strands of grass swayed in the wind. He would breath in the fragrant scent of the outdoors. One thing that stood out; however, were the blue flowers. The flowers looked so out of place in the green filled fields of his hometown. The one reason he loved them though, was the way Mikasa's face would light up at the sight of the incongruous cobalt flowers.

They were 9. Mikasa's parents had been killed in a robbery of sorts. Since then, she has been in and out of different foster care homes, but the one thing that never changed was her spending time with Eren. They had been introduced shortly before Mikasa's parents died. Although they were best friends at the time of her parents unseemly death, their friendship grew even deeper afterwards.

Eren had short choppy brown hair and green eyes that would drill holes into people's souls if they looked too long. Mikasa had long straight black hair and gray eyes that seemed like rain clouds about to burst with rain. He was tan and talked most of the conversation. She was porcelain skinned and kept quiet most of the time.

He was light. She was dark.

Mikasa hardly ever showed her emotions to anyone. She looked like the embodiment of strength mixed with numbness. Even when she slept she looked like a force to be reckoned with. Except when she was with _Eren_.

She often found herself spending the night with Eren with or without permission of her caretakers. Either way, she always found her way to him. She'd knock on his window with her pale hands, and Eren would get up oblivious to the fact that she ditched her caretakers. He honestly didn't care. He'd open the window and let her in. More times than not, she'd stare into his eyes for a second and break down. Her face would contort to a frown and she'd cry incessantly. Eren just hugged her, placing her lovely face in his chest, and rubbed her back gently.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm right here," he would say softly. Her sobs would begin to settle and her breathing would even out. Mikasa looked up at Eren, eyes red from her fit of tears, and he stared back at her. They didn't need to talk to one another; they just looked in each others eyes and knew. "_I'm scared and so lonely_," Mikasa's dark eyes said. Eren's bright emerald eyes replied with, "_There's nothing to fear because I'm with you. I'll never let anything hurt you. Ever._"

Mikasa and Eren would then go to bed, Mikasa never letting go of Eren. Her breathing evened out, and she would fall asleep in his warm chest. This was her _home. _Eren would hug her close and, he too, would fall asleep.

This was how life was. They'd play around outside by their favorite tree, or go see Armin. Armin was a short timid boy, but was an everlasting friend of theirs. He was a genius, and he would often hang out with both Eren and Mikasa. Eren often gave Mikasa the odd flowers as a gift because he knew she liked them.

They were more than just friends. She was _Mikasa_ and he was _Eren_. They were inseparable.

But one day everything _changed_. Hell had come to visit their quiet lives. _They _came.

Their nation bordered a much larger one. The larger one was the home of the so called titans. In reality, they were a war hungry people. They had large sums of land, but they still had famine, disease, and hatred. 2000 years in the past both nations clashed in a spectacular war. The larger nation won and kept all the land that was fertile and full of large animals. The smaller nation; however, learned to adapt and live off the land that the nation of the titans did not want. This is how the world worked until one fatful day.

It was sundown when the bombers came. They had swifter, lighter, planes come in first. They destroyed all the anti-aircraft weaponry in Shiganshina. They paved the road for the larger bombers. The bombs came down swiftly, and without mercy. A mixture of rubble, dust, blood, and body parts became the once great city.

Among the chaos, Eren ran rapidly towards his house, praying that it was still in one piece. Mikasa was close behind Eren when they both witnessed his house in ashes. It had been bombed by the titans. Smoke billowed in the air from the burning house. The fire's eerie orange glow melting into the sunset perfectly as the sound of crackling wood burning stung in his ears. Then, he saw it.

His mother's body. It was charred and black among the mixture of still burning wood and stone.

"No..." Eren said chocked by the fear and misery of the horrendous sight. _Boom_! A bomb had struck the house across from his. Flying chunks of the stone architecture were sent flying everywhere around them, followed by a thick cloud of gray smoke. When Eren's eyes opened his ears were ringing. There was debris all around him, but there was a giant chunk of the building in front of him. It was blocking the street, and was too high to climb. It then hit him. His stomach dropped. _Mikasa_.

_Oh God, Oh God, _his mind was racing a million miles a second. "Mikasa?!" he shouted, hoping for a reply.

"Eren?!" a voice from across the giant piece of stone answered. Eren was relieved to hear her soft voice in his still hurting ears. He saw a small opening in the behemoth of rubble. It was too small to climb through, but they could see each other through it.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Do you see a hole that I can get through?" was her response.

"No, but i'll get you through."

"Oh shit." she said horrified.

"What?! What is i-" he couldn't finish. Eren saw it. A tank was coming down the street straight at them.

"Eren!" a familiar voice shouted. It was followed by hurried footsteps of a blond haired police officer.

"We gotta go!" Hannes shouted at Eren as he reached him. Eren wouldn't budge.

"I won't leave Mikasa! I have to stay!" he shouted. The tank was rapidly closing in on their position.

"Eren we have to go! I'm sorry but we don't have time to save her!" Hannes replied regretfully.

"No, I refuse to-" he was cut short by an ebony haired girl, "Eren"

"Listen to me. You have to live. I don't want to die here, but if that is what fate has in store for me, then I won't drag you down with me." she said calmly, almost soothingly.

"But..." Eren replied shocked.

"Please Eren. Don't argue with me," she was sobbing and tears were rolling down her cheeks, "This past year has been the best time of my life. When I'm with you everything makes sense, and I can actually be free of my pain. You've shown me how to live," the tears kept coming down her flushed red cheeks. "So now, I want you to live for my sake. Live on to remember me and cherish my memory. Live for me." she was smiling at the astonished young boy.

"I will," he said angrily with hot tears falling out of his eyes "But you have to promise me, _promise me_ that you will live through this. That we will meet again some day," the tears stung his eyes. "Live for me." He silently removed his favorite scarlet scarf and gave it to her through the opening.

"_I promise_," they said in unison.

Mikasa turned and ran away before the tank could spot her. She disappeared from his sight, yet he still stood there in a state of shock. Hannes picked him up and threw Eren over his shoulder. As Eren looked back at what was once his quiet neighborhood and thought about the carnage that he was witnessing. He thought about his mother's smile, and how she always gave him cookies after he finished his chores. He thought about how Mikasa looked peaceful while she was sleeping. He thought about how the bombs only hit houses. It was _deliberate_. The titans did it without remorse. He finally snapped out of his reverie of elation and misery. Tears flew from his eyes like raindrops. He saw the beautiful blue flowers stained by a disgusting shade of crimson red.

"MIKASA!" he yelled a yell so full of pain, regret, anger, and love at the top of his lungs.

**Hope you enjoyed! Tune in soon for the next chapter!**

**Yours truly ianlazy**


	2. Green Daylilies

Promises

Chapter 2: Green Daylilies

Eren was 15 when he joined the trainee corps. It was the minimum age to join the military due to it taking one year to train, and 16 was the minimum age to actually be placed on a battlefield. He had worked in harsh conditions in fields from dawn to dust just to get by since he was 9. Every passing day he had nothing on his mind except Mikasa and revenge. Now, as he was lined up in the trainee fort in District Rose, he had the same two things on his mind.

There were three districts in the smaller nation. All of them were encompassed by barbed wire fences and the military branch called the Stationary Guard. Every fifteen miles was a military base and airfield controlled by the guard. The first district, Maria, was taken in the hellish events that occurred 4 years before. The event that tore Eren away from Mikasa. There were three military branches. The Military Police solved problems inside the districts, but they were more that stuck up assholes who lived cozy lifestyles miles away from the true heroes. The third was the one that fought against the hostile enemy on the front lines. They were the Survey Corps.

Eren knew if he wanted to find Mikasa he'd have to join the Survey Corps. Standing beside him was his best friend, Armin. He agreed that he would go with Eren to save Mikasa; he couldn't abandon one of his best friends like that. He also had another reason to join. He wanted the freedom to see the world without oppression.

They were in the middle of a desert crater. The base was located inside this crater along with the trainee barracks. It was in this crater that they would learn how to become soldiers. 3 miles north was a forest they would train in as well. In this desert crater Eren glanced at something unusual. A single green daylily growing out of the ground.

All the new recruits were lined up in rows inside the crater. Their new drill sergeant, Keith, was yelling in their faces. Testing each person's resolve to stay in the military.

Eren could care less if Keith yelled at him. Eren's resolve was unfaltering. He was numb to the core of his very being; this only being overcome by the one emotion he had left to feel. _Rage_.

_3 months later_

Eren wore his dark khaki collard shirt under his light green jacket covered by buttons, straps, and pouches. The crossed swords trainee logo on the back of the jacket and the patch was sewn on to their jacket's upper sleeve. The insignia was also on the front of their helmets. He had a darker green pair of pants with pouches on his upper thighs; the bottom of his leggings were tucked into his standard issue brown boots. The pouches were filled with ammunition, maps, and other things that were needed to survive in a militarized atmosphere. The standard issue military uniform on his body was shaking. A round green helmet with a band right above the rim and strap clipped under his chin was wobbling on his head.

Eren was on one of the many running drills that the 104th trainee corps had to experience each day. Each person had to carry all there gear with them. They had smaller dark green packs on each of their backs and canteens slung from their right shoulder to left hip. They also had their weapons slung on their shoulders.

They had weapons assigned to them after they trained with each type they could use. Most of them carried the standard M1 Garand rifle, but Eren was more skilled with the M1A1 Thompson submachine gun.

He didn't care; either way the damn thing was heavy. He huffed up the mountain in the center of the pack of trainees. Sweat coated his tan face. His body looked like it was about to be broken, but his blazing emerald eyes told a different story. One of a man chasing after a girl with such determination that even his body's limits couldn't stop him. His body would have to adapt to the pain because _nothing _could stop him from seeing her.

The thickly forested mountain was covered by a dense layer of fog. It was 8 a.m. and he had been up for four hours now. They had to reach the summit by nine and make it back a half hour later. They did this every day, and they were currently about half way up the mountain. They were chasing a jeep driven by Keith, yelling profanities at them.

Armin was lagging in the back. His breathing was heavy and Reiner was aggravated at him. If they didn't make it back in time they did it again; only they did it in the middle of the night and still had to get up in the morning. When the last person finishes, the group is done.

"Hurry up and give me your pack! I don't want to do this shit any more times than I have to." Reiner whisper yelled at Armin.

"No! If I can't do this then I can't very well say that I have the skill to meet my goals. I'm a man and a soldier. Cunning is nothing without the physicality to back it up, so hurry up and rejoin the group or you will be the one holding us back." Armin said as he huffed up the mountain right next to Eren.

"You've got guts after all kid. I have a feeling we're gonna be pretty good friends." Reiner replied to Armin after running up to the group.

"We're the same age, so don't be callin' me no kid." Armin replied with a broad smile.

"Since when did you grow a pair?" Eren laughed sarcastically at Armin.

"Like you have room to talk." Armin jokingly puffed out.

The three of them started laughing and got yelled at by Keith.

_9 months later_

_Live for me_. Eren jolted up in his bed; his green eyes stung with tears. He had had the same nightmare every night since Mikasa left. It was less of a dream and more of a memory, but it was still a nightmare even if it was something he experienced in his life.

His eyes started adjusting to the dark shades of gray and black in the barracks. His bed was next to Connie and Bertholt's beds. The barracks were a basically a long hallway of beds with their gear at the foot of each individual's bed. Eren wiped the cold sweat off of his forehead and laid back down. As he stared up at the blank ceiling, he thought about her jet black hair and pale skin. Had it really been _four years _since he last saw her? His mind wouldn't be quiet. Today was the day they all graduated and chose their military branch.

Eren fidgeted with the golden key around his neck. Eren always seemed to lose the key to the house, so his father, Grisha, made it into a necklace that Eren couldn't lose. He chuckled to himself thinking about how it was getting a little irritating wearing both his scarf and key. He was glad he gave the scarf to Mikasa. He internally sighed to himself. _I promise _he thought before going back to sleep.

_Later that day..._

They all stood in the courtyard talking about which branch they wanted to join. It was evening time and they had already heard from the Military Police and Stationary Guard. The next people supposed to speak were the Survey Corps. Eren stood among the people he learned to know from the training he received.

They were all wearing their tan dress uniforms. They wore nice pressed collard jackets over regular shirts. The trainee symbol on the back of their jackets was also a nice pendant on their collars. They also had nice pressed tan pants and hats on their heads.

"Who are you gonna join?" asked Sasha to the group of excited cadets.

"The Military Police of course." Jean snarked back.

"I'm goin' with Jean. The front lines are way too scary for me." Connie agreed.

"The Survey Corps." Eren said coldly.

"What?! That's insane. You'll die the first day." Marco said astonished that his friend would take such a risk. Most of them started snickering things similar to what Marco said to Eren.

"So? What's so scary about death?" Eren replied smoothly causing the crowd to immediately stop and listen, "I'm not scared of death anymore. People fear what they don't understand. I've seen death before. I'd like to think that I'm different from the crowd. I'd like to think that what I'm chasing after is worth the risk of dying."

"What is it you're chasing?" Historia asked, curiosity burning in her ever passionate eyes.

Eren started to laugh to himself. When he finally calmed down he replied with a smile, "I'm not sure. She's a beautiful girl from my childhood, but I'm not sure what I'll do when I find her. But I know one thing," he continued more seriously, "If these titan motherfuckers want to get in my way, I'll kill every single one of 'em without a second thought. Dying with my friends doesn't scare me; what scares me is living alone without them."

The group was gawking at him with a mixture of admiration and curiosity when the lights were dimmed. "ATTENTION!" Keith yelled on the stage. All the recruits offered up their hearts in a stiff stance towards Keith.

"At ease," said casually by a blond man next to Keith on stage. "I am Erwin Smith," continued the blond man confidently, "and I am the Commander of the Survey Corps."

"We are the men who step out onto the battlefield without hesitation in our souls. For death does not scare us. Once that fear embeds itself into our souls it spreads and controls our actions. Anyone in the Survey Corps wishing to survive must not have fear. Instead the people who are part of this organization have ambition. They need to have the ambition of their goals in life to lead them through the battlefield and to see them into another day. So if there is anyone of you who have fear in their souls, I ask you this: Are you going to leave this courtyard or are you going to eradicate that fear with ambition?" Erwin asked his question with authority and confidence.

The courtyard was silent for a few seconds until half of the people left. Eren looked around at who was left. "Huh?!" he silently gasped. All of his friends from his squad had stayed behind with him. Even Jean and Annie, who he was sure were going to join the Military Police.

Then Eren saw something almost as strange. In the middle of that desert crater his emerald eyes focused on a second green daylily growing from the ground.

"I commend all of you." Erwin began again, "You have all put aside your fear for ambition. The Suvey Corps is not for the faint of heart. It is the most gruesome and terrible branch. You will experience the worst type of hell. You will experience war. All of us here today are going to die, but whether that means in battle or not is up to you and your ability to control your fear." he finished.

_I won't die until she is with me again,_ Eren thought. _I promise._


	3. Red Roses

**I'm happy to say the new chapter is up! This one is extra long for you guys. Thank you so much for the support. Enjoy!**

**Warning: This chapter contains lots of descriptions of gory scenes. It also uses lots of adult language.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own snk.**

Promises

Chapter Three: Red Roses

"So why'd you all join?" Eren asked calmly, staring at the floor, as the wobbling truck carrying them in their full military outfits was about to cross the border into the land of the titans. It had been two months since they had joined the corps and all they did up to this moment was study the upcoming strategy for battle. Eren was sixteen now, and he had already experienced a lifetime of pain. Now he was about to endure even more pain.

"You're words got to me. I'd like to think that I could see what is outside our nation." Historia replied solemnly.

"I want my folks to be proud of the fact that I fought for our nation." Connie said rather seriously, which was out of character for him. _Maybe this upcoming battle was getting to them_, Eren thought.

"I'd like to get better hunting grounds!" Sasha said perkily, hunger exuding from her eyes. _Or maybe it wasn't_.

"Our home village is out there." Reiner's deep voice was confident as ever. He spoke for Annie and Bertholt's sake too.

"Historia would die if I wasn't there to protect her." Ymir jokingly teased Historia, who replied with a death glare.

"I want to see the ocean, desert, and glaciers. I want to see foreign lands without looking over my shoulder." Armin said optimistically.

"You're words motivated all of us," Marco smiled at Eren, "you're ambition reminded us of our own. I want everlasting peace."

"You're so stereotypical Marco." Jean laughed at his friend sitting beside him. "I wanted to have my friends be happy. But don't get me wrong Yeager," Jean continued more seriously, "None of us want to die until our dreams are realized. You inspired us, so lead us now to complete our dreams. Don't let us down."

They all stared at Eren for an answer. The giant topless flatbed truck that carried them lumbered forward past the gates. They were wobbling around in their seats when Eren looked up at them and replied, "I can't protect your dreams. I'm not a hero. I'm a man. But I sure as hell won't let the titans restrict us any longer."

The group smiled. They seemed to like that answer.

"You hear that titans, we're comin' for your asses!" Reiner yelled out of the truck. Annie just looked at him in disgust while Bertholt punched him in the arm. Just then Eren looked outside of the truck and saw red roses sprouting. _Maybe it won't be so bad_, he thought.

_1 day later_

"Mom!" Thomas screamed chocking on his own blood. It was pouring out of his body like someone had turned on a faucet in his bullet riddled chest. Eren just stared at him in horror. He was inside a trench that was cut out of a field. The crimson blood mixed with the soggy dirt while Armin was sitting in the corner crying. He was cradling his weapon tight against his chest. Four corpses were next to him. Eren couldn't tell where the blood stopped and the mud started. Armin and Eren were all that was left of their six man squad. The plan was to distract the enemy in a frontal push in the trench riddled field with the new recruits while the veterans flanked the enemy from the forest on the right of the town they were supposed to capture. The recruits were about to be overrun by the enemy when Eren thought about Mikasa.

Everyone was dying around him, and Eren's mind went to Mikasa of all people. He thought about the tree they loved to sit under. Her lovely pale features were lying on Eren.

"Eren?" she asked lightly, almost in a whisper.

"What?" Eren replied groggily; he was very close to being asleep.

"Don't ever leave me," she continued with a sadness in her voice, "Everyone I've cared about have left me. You're the only person left in this world that I feel safe with."

"But Mikasa you're the strongest person I've ever met. You're stronger than me, so why are you scared?" Eren asked, now wide awake.

"Because living by myself without you would be worse than anything. Even death. So don't ever leave me." she said sadly but the last statement aggressively.

"I won't. Besides, most of the time you protect me. So don't leave me either." he said enthusiastically.

"Okay." she replied with a smile on her face as she fell asleep on him.

"MOM!" a scream pierced Eren's thoughts. He looked around at his friends dying, and thought of the day he left Mikasa. _I promise_.

Something inside Eren snapped. Eren picked up his submachine gun and stood up. He pulled out one of his grenades and pulled the pin. The grenade was chucked into the enemy trench. He jumped out of the trench, running at full speed across the green field.

He watched as the trench exploded in front of him. Bullets hit near his feet; he looked up at the soldiers shooting at him. Eren pulled up his gun and returned fire. He watched as the three men shooting at him all had blood explode out of their bodies in different places.

His boots hit the mud in the enemy trench hard. Charred limbs were spread around the crater that his grenade had made. Eren looked ahead at the titans starring at him in disbelief that he had just done that. He opened up on the titans. Soon there were a pile of bodies in front of him. He jumped over the trail of corpses, running through their trench, firing at any titans he came across. He was blinded by pure rage.

The muzzle of his gun smoked as the black clip that carried his bullets fell to the ground. Eren promptly put in a new clip, filled with rounds, into his piece. His left arm was bleeding from a bullet grazing it. Eren was pinned down behind a mound of dirt in the enemy trench. He had already killed two dozen titans in close range. It was almost like he was a monster. Both his and enemy blood stained his face and clothes.

Eren turned and fired at the people trying desperately to take his life. His bullets hit every one of the titans firing at him. Add five more to that list of kills. Eren was lucky they were bad at hitting things, or maybe he was just good at killing people. Eren turned around and saw a titan aiming his gun straight at Eren. _Pop, pop._

Blood splattered on Eren's already stained uniform. Emerald eyes met ocean blue eyes above the trench. Armin had shot the titan before Eren was just another corpse on the battlefield.

"Thanks," Eren said breathing heavily and a little taken aback by his own killing rampage. He didn't think he was capable of killing so many people.

"You guys alright?" Jean asked as what was left of the new recruits showed up on the other side of the trench.

"Yeah. Did you guys clear out the rest of the trench?" Eren asked in response to Jean.

"Yes. Now we move to phase two. Reinforce our troops in town." Jean said while his breathing evened out. Everyone seemed to stare at Eren.

"You want _me _to lead you?" Eren asked weary of his fellow soldiers.

"You did last time, so why not now?" Marco replied to him.

_My reckless action led them?_ Eren thought to himself. "Armin, I need your help." Eren said to his friend standing next to him. "What's the best option for entry?"

"Hmm.." blue eyes scrambled for an answer to this dilemma, "well the other group flanked from the right, so our best guess would be to enter the lower right of the town. It should be fairly deserted by now. We can then reinforce the veterans and launch a full scale assault."

"Sounds good. Let's move!" Eren yelled at was left of the recruits. _I'm not a leader_, Eren thought, _I'm reckless. Let Jean or Armin lead you, and let me kill the bastards that took my mother._

As the recruits entered the city, they met some senior officers. Their new orders were to help the rest of the group by killing anyone left alive in the center of the town. The fight was almost over. Corpses and rubble paved the recruit's road to catching up with the rest of the Survey Corps.

Eren suddenly heard the whirring of propellers. Two to be exact. "Oh shit," he mumbled. He recognized the sound immediately as light bombers.

"GET DOWN!" Eren yelled frantically. Rookies ran to take cover in buildings like ants to a hill. Franz was hit by a bomb, and the lower half of his body was gone. His organs were strewn across the pavement as Hannah screamed and ran to him. She was then shot through her head. Her brain matter splattered against the stone and mixed with the dust.

Armin was next to Eren inside a building when Armin started to throw up. These were the same people that they laughed with, trained with, and ate with. Watching them die in front of each other was excruciating.

"Hurry up!" yelled Jean to people still outside. He was standing in a doorway and waving his arm towards his teammates. Marco started running in his direction as the bombers made another pass. He had almost reached the door when the bomb hit him. Half of his body was incinerated while his blood sprayed across Jean.

"No.." Jean whispered in a state of shock. His eyes were wide open staring at the bloody heap that was once his friend. "NOOO!" _My dream is everlasting peace._ Marco was a victim of everlasting peace's battlefield.

Reiner held Jean back, so he wouldn't run out into the street. "Shit.." Annie whispered to herself. She was also in shock at how gruesome his death was.

They all were intimidated by the reality of war. Their scars would never heal.

_3 hours later.._

Eren sat in a fox hole at the edge of the forest in front of the town. He was sitting next to Armin and drinking from his canteen. They were on lookout for any lingering enemy troops or reinforcements. The town had been taken and the garrison was coming to take control of the town. They were in charge of security for every new piece of land taken. The guard would set up a military presence in the town and the survey corps would rest in their base inside the district walls. The corps would then go on to take more land.

"Eren.." Armin almost silently said as he stared at the ground, thinking, "do you...are you okay with losing your humanity? I never expected to lose mine." he said on the verge of tears, his voice laced with pain. Eren looked at him with a shocked expression. And then Eren did something unexpected. He laughed.

"Fuck humanity. I gave up my humanity as soon as I saw my mother dead in a pile of rubble. After the shit I've seen and done I could care less about my humanity. The line in between sanity and insanity doesn't exist. I'm insane and sane at the same time. I'm a survivor." Eren replied not even looking at his friend. Armin was shocked to hear this from his best friend.

"Armin, do you know why I'm a survivor?" Eren asked his surprised friend. Armin slowly shook his head. This time Eren turned and looked his friend straight in his eyes as he spoke.

"I'm a survivor because Mikasa isn't with me. I have to live with the pain of not having her next to me everyday. Because of that, I have to survive. I gave up my humanity because I knew the payoff was greater. Greater than sanity, humanity, and death itself. My payoff is _Mikasa_. I would walk through a hail storm of bullets for a thousand miles just to hold her one more time. So screw my humanity. Now ask yourself: is my dream worth my humanity?" Armin looked even more shocked at his friend's sudden words.

"It doesn't matter. You've already lost your humanity, so why don't you just follow your dream?" Eren said after a period of silence.

"Okay." Armin replied, still in disbelief at how cruel the world was.

_1 year later_

The truck carrying them into Trost was wobbling the injured soldiers inside. They were back from their fourth tour outside the walls. Eren had bandages on his cheek and on one of his shoulders. His choppy brown hair was longer than normal. Armin sat next to him; he was also bandaged. He and Eren were unkept and their uniforms were tattered. The Wings of Freedom stained in dried blood. Everyone in the truck was bandaged and looked like hell. Everyone that was _left_. Things had gotten even worse throughout the year. Annie and Ymir were taken into an enemy POW camp on their second tour. Four of the best fighters, Levi's squad, among them were killed by a bombing in the third expedition. Commander Erwin lost his arm in the third as well. Mike was killed in this last expedition by enemy tanks. This along with countless other soldiers.

Everyone in that truck was looking at the ground with melancholic faces. There was a thick silence around them. They had done things to others that was so inhuman that their memories would be forever laced with the guilt. They did what they were paid to do, but there wasn't enough money in the world that could justify their actions. No, it was for their ambitions that they did this. Eren overheard some people talking about Mikasa Ackerman. He just smiled to himself.

She had become a household name nowadays. She was the fearless leader of the Resistance. They fought, slept, and lived outside the districts. They destroyed the titans without fear. It sounded all too familiar. The truck stopped suddenly, throwing them forward and bringing Eren out of his reverie.

"What the hell was that about?" Connie groaned.

"No idea." Bertholt answered stoically.

"The titans are hear!" was yelled by a bystander in the crowd. People rushed frantically to get to the inner gate.

"Did you hear that guys?! What are our orders Sargeant?" Sasha asked Eren hurriedly. Everyone stared at Eren and Armin. Armin and Eren were both appointed Sergeants after their third tour. Eren had Connie, Sasha, and Historia in his squad. Armin had Reiner, Jean, and Bertholt in his squad. On the battlefield it was Armin who determined the strategy and Eren who carried it out. They were like one huge squad.

"Fall back to Erwin's position for further orders." Armin said as they all jumped from the truck. They all thought the same thing. This was going to be hell. Everyone from the Survey Corps was beaten down and worn out. They would soon be running on pure adrenaline.

"The titans have entered the front gate. Currently, the Stationary Guard is fighting them alongside the resistance." Erwin's words hit Eren like a bag of bricks. _Mikasa? Am I that close to you?_ The blond man continued his hasty speech, "Squads 5, 17, 22, 16, 11, and 8 will reinforce the front gate units. As for the rest of you, you will be in the town's center. Levi's squad will protect the people's escape at the inner gate. Offer up your hearts and go without fear." the man finished and, with that, the squads saluted and went into their assigned positions. Squad 8 was Erens' and squad 11 was Armins'.

It started to rain as they ran to the front gate. Water droplets hit Eren's helmet increasingly, wetting the ace of diamonds that was placed in the band of his helmet. Hanji led all of the first group into battle. She was a fearless leader, always ready to gain intel on the enemy, and a little insane. Insanity was required in the Survey Corps. That, or the will to accomplish a goal.

She gave the orders to take up position in the almost empty left side of the trench. Only a few rag-tag resistance soldiers remained in the left trench. Eren jumped into the trench as enemy fire landed inches away from his feet. Eren sat in the trench and took account for his troops. Being a leader was a pain in the ass.

Eren then pulled the gum from his mouth and placed it on his bayonet. He then placed a mirror on that and held it above the trench. An enemy machine gun nest was already in place. _Sorry Mikasa but your forces must really suck if they already have machine gun nests set up_, he thought. The nest was then promptly blown to bits leaving only blood mist and ash behind. _Or not_.

Eren then turned and began to fire at enemy heads. They were 40 yards away, but Eren kept hitting them, watching as blood exploded out of their wounds. He had gone into a state of killing, like a monster. More and more titans flooded the gate. No matter how good he was at killing, he couldn't defeat large amounts at once. They were ordered to retreat to the next checkpoint.

"Sasha, you're in charge of the squad while I cover your escape! Follow Armin's squad!" Eren told her as they started out of the trench.

"Roger! Good luck!" Sasha replied quickly while Eren found a pile of rubble to take cover behind outside the trench. Eren stayed for five minutes before he was sure they were far enough away. He got up to run, but a titan managed to reach his position. The titan pointed his gun at him, and in a flash the man's head exploded spraying blood on Eren. Eren turned around and saw someone in the building behind him. His emerald eyes widened in shock. The crimson fabric waved in the wind. Accompanied by short ebony hair.

_Mikasa. The light had returned to the dark._

She looked down and saw him. "Hey why aren't you-" her words were cut short when she saw his face. "Eren?" she asked almost silently. Before he could respond the building was hit by an bomb. The building collapsed with her in it.

"NO!" Eren yelled in shock and anger. As he ran to the rubble that was once the building, the garrison's light bombers hit the trenches behind him, effectively killing most of the titans inside of it. Eren dug through the rubble, not noticing how the bullets from enemy guns quit firing at him. All he could think about was a certain Asian girl.

"Shit. Shit. Shit. I didn't come this far to have you just die on me!" Eren was scrambling to find her. He finally found her unconscious and alive when he lifted a large piece of what was once a wall. She didn't look to have any open wounds. _That's good, _he thought. His mind was racing; it was full of things he felt and wanted to say. He picked her up bridal style and began to walk to the next checkpoint. It wouldn't be long before more titans made their way through the gate.

"Ere-, Eren?" she said softly as she started to come to. Her vision was blurry at first, but came into focus. She was being carried by him. She gripped his shirt when she saw his shoulder and face. His wounds had opened up and was leaking blood.

"Are you okay?" he asked worried for her well-being.

"Yes, I'm fine but what about you?" she asked.

"I'll live. I kept my promise after all." he said with a smirk and slight laugh. He was elated to see her again. So much of his life was filled with emptiness and anger that it felt good to laugh with an old friend.

"You're such an idiot. Always rushing into things you can't handle." she slapped him slightly and chuckled, but her eyes betrayed her. Gray eyes started flooding over with tears.

"Is my hair too long? My barber wasn't around these past few weeks. Armin said it looks fine, but you know me, I'm a little self conscious" he said light-heartily, as if they weren't surrounded by a war zone. Mikasa began to cry into Eren's shirt. Eren frowned, "C'mon, it's that bad? I'll get it cut."

"I've missed you so much. Don't ever leave me again." she sobbed, ignoring his last remarks. Then, something peculiar happened. Eren's tears hit Mikasa's face. They were mixed with the blood from his open wound. She was completely caught off guard.

"I love you, Mikasa. More than you can ever know." he managed to get out of his chocking voice. He couldn't hold the tears back any longer.

"I love you too, Eren." Mikasa replied.

And with that the two strongest people on the planet started to cry. They only showed their weakness to each other. _Love is an odd emotion,_ Eren thought. He then eyed a single rose blooming in the rubble of the street. _Damn, flowers grow in odd places._

**Hope you enjoyed! New chapter will be up soon. Love the reviews you guys give me.**

**Yours truly, ianlazy.**


	4. Golden Evening Primroses

Promises

**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to update. I went to Austria for 2 weeks and didn't have time to write. But I'm back!**

**Warning: More gore and language**

**Disclaimer: I don't own snk**

Chapter Four: Golden Evening Primroses

Eren could hear the flag dancing to the melody of the wind in the distance. His fingertips were numb from the eloquent white flakes falling around him. The sound of iron hitting brass was engrained in his mind. It was akin to a song; one that he knew every line of. Bodies hitting the frozen tundra were the drums. Dying screams were the vocals, and the bullets flying around his body were the guitar's tune. The song was entitled War, and Eren had memorized it a million times over.

The smell of fresh blood made his nose scrunch in disgust. Even worse, it was his own blood. As he lay on the cold ground, staring at the gray sky, he thought about how shame was the only emotion he had left to feel. It was an odd sensation for him to be feeling in death. His mind raced to find an answer to why this emotion plagued his feigning senses. It wasn't the shame of having killed others, but the shame of not being able to hold the warm body of his beloved one last time that haunted his dying moments. He thought about her brilliant smile, and beautiful features. As his glowing emerald eyes closed for the last time he felt the shame of not being able to accomplish the goal of seeing Mikasa one last time.

"Ahh!" Eren gasped out loud as his eyes struggled to focus in the dim light. His mind was still reeling from the nightmare he had just experienced when he felt something, or rather someone, stir on his chest. Mikasa was obviously awoken by Eren's sudden actions.

They were in a broken down house in the city of Trost. The rest of Eren's and Armin's squads now resided all around the bottom floor of the former house. Eren and Mikasa were resting quietly against the side of a wall; to the left of them was a gaping hole in the structure. Just outside of it were some makeshift foxholes that adorned rubble and sandbags. It was late in the night and the occasional ringing of sporadic gunfire could be heard. The titans had almost been pushed out of the district.

"Bad dream?" an ethereal voice touched Eren's ears.

"Yeah. I don't usually have nightmares," he responded in a somewhat groggy voice. "But I guess back then I had nothing to lose. Now I have everything and more to lose." Mikasa pulled her scarf above her face so Eren didn't see her bright red cheeks. Eren gave out a small chuckle at her uncomfortableness. Her gray eyes looked at him with the same gleam that he had thought he'd lost. Everything he cared so deeply for, he dreamed of all those years, was in his arms in that moment. Something in his chest lit up like wood being set ablaze. His emerald eyes lit up with a passion that often took the shape of hatred; however, this time was different. It was the emotion that had evaded him for so long: love.

"Eren!" A rather loud whisper pulled Eren's eyes away from Mikasa. The voice belonged to a familiar face. "It's your turn to take the night shift," Connie said as he retreated from the foxhole outside of the gaping hole. Eren nodded towards his fellow soldier.

"You wanna come?" Eren's voice asked Mikasa softly. It was a gentleness that he held exclusively for Mikasa.

"Yes," she replied stoically but with a hint of disappointment that their intimate moment was disturbed. After they were situated in the fox hole their was a long silence. Dark eyes focused on the tanned features of Eren's face. She thought he looked good even in the dark of night. He was staring off in the distance while contemplating something she couldn't decipher yet.

"Eren, what are you thinking about?" her voice was laced with concern.

"I'm not the same person that you knew before, Mikasa," he continued while eying a golden colored evening primrose, "I've become a monster." He chuckled sadly, "It's funny really; I became the same monster that I swore to destroy. I kicked my humanity to the curb, killing everyone that got in my way, just so I could see you again. Now that I'm with you, I," he hesitated, "I'm afraid that you won't love me anymore. That's why- why I think that maybe I should be destroyed along with the titans." Eren finished and looked straight into her shocked eyes.

"Eren..." Mikasa whispered, shocked. She then move her hands up to his face and pushed her lips against his. Her soft lips felt good against his, and he could feel her tears creeping onto his face. He closed his eyes and cupped her face in his rough hands, kissing her back.

"Don't ever say that. I can't say that I understand you, but I know that I have experienced things so terrible that I'd like to just forget. You have to find what makes you strong and happy in this world and never let go of it. That is how I survived. So please survive for me." Mikasa was inches away from his face; she could feel his breath against her face.

"Okay. It's a _promise._" Eren said with a smile on his face as they leaned in for another kiss.

_The next day._

"Full house! I win!" the brunette screamed as she laid her cards on the table.

"Rematch!" the bald man yelled angrily as he handed his cards to Sasha.

"You sure you wanna lose _all_ your money?" she said mockingly as she shuffled the crumpled deck.

"Shut up," he grunted angrily. The two were playing cards on a table that was in the middle of the rubble inside of the worn house. The sun gleamed throughout the house on the tired soldiers. It was midday in the battered city. Jean was out in the foxhole on guard duty. The blond man was struggling to open his MRE. Reiner was adjusting the sights on his rifle while sitting on the jagged edge of the wall opposite the fox hole. Historia was desperately trying, but failing, to scrub the dirt and grime out of her stained jacket with what little water she had left in her canteen. Bertholt was sitting next to Connie at the shabby table, writing a letter to his parents. Mikasa had her sidearm disassembled and was tediously cleaning each part as she sat next to Eren in the same spot they had slept, occasionally looking over at him. He had his green helmet over his face as he sat against the wall. He had told Mikasa to wake him if anything interesting happened.

"Hey Eren, wanna join us?" Connie yelled at him, obviously trying to bother him. Mikasa was slightly annoyed as she realized it had awoken Eren.

"Aces high or low?" Eren asked groggily as he lifted his helmet above his face.

"Low," a bubbly voice from Sasha responded.

"No thanks," Eren answered Connie's question.

"You don't want Connie's money?" she asked Eren concerned. It was only met with a glare from Connie.

As Eren sat up, Mikasa discretely looked at his tanned features. She also spied the worn down ace of diamonds in the band of his helmet. She thought about how when they were kids, they'd play a card game where if the person got the ace of diamonds they'd automatically win. Eren would get so frustrated when he didn't win because his father would always sneak the ace of diamonds out of the deck before each match and secretly hand it to Mikasa. Eren eventually caught on and began to steal the ace before each match as well. It became a habit for him to always have the card on him. Mikasa giggled and Eren eyed her with a questioning look. She just took the card out of his helmet and said, "I win."

"Shut up," he laughed. It had been a long time since he had smiled like that. For a moment he forgot where he was. That was happening more often now that Mikasa had returned.

"Where's Armin already?" Connie asked impatiently as he lost yet another match to Sasha.

"Weren't you listening? He went to the Commander to ask what to do with the leader of the resistance," Jean replied annoyed due to his friend's inability to listen.

"I know that!" Connie yelled, aggravated that his friends don't have faith in his ability to listen. "It shouldn't be taking this long though," he said less annoyed.

"Maybe he stopped for a piss!" Reiner responded in his baritone voice.

Connie and Sasha laughed at his comment while Bertholt piped up, "This is a very sensitive matter for the military, no, the nation, to deal with. It's not just another POW type of deal. She's the leader of the resistance. So it should take a while," he finished quietly.

Eren sighed nervously. Mikasa had just returned to him, and now she might disappear again. Sensing his tension, Mikasa intertwined her fingers with his. Her gray pools looked into his green pools, and he suddenly felt relieved from his anxiety. Just then a certain blond haired boy entered the room.

"I'm back," Armin's voice was tired.

"What's the decision?" Eren asked almost immediately after Armin stopped talking.

"Mikasa will be staying with us for now. She has been recognized as a hero to our nation, and will not be persecuted. However, she is to report to the higher ups in the capital as to the resistance's whereabouts and information. Also, the resistance is to be disbanded. If any members wish to join the military they will be given an exam on their skills. Due to lack of troops in Trost currently, they will stay with us to help fight until further notice," he finished in an almost robotic voice.

Eren sighed in relief now that he knew she wasn't going to be taken from him again. Although relieved, he couldn't help but think about what his future would be like. Would he quit the military now that his goal was met? Or would Mikasa join him? He did know one thing though. He wouldn't leave Mikasa's side ever again.

The loud screeching of sirens ripped Eren out of his thoughts. _Shit._ The scene was ever so familiar to the boy from Shiganshina. Sirens played the tune of an air raid. Eren could see the bombers overhead while anti aircraft guns shot them down, and their air force intercepted the bombers. Orange fire scattered the sky above the broken city of Trost.

Just then, Eren spotted Survey Corps troops rushing to the front gate. _During an air raid they shouldn't go to the wall, _he thought. _What the hell was going on? _A soldier ran up to Armin to brief him on the current situation. Eren could feel Mikasa's grip tighten on his tan hand. Even though he had stood up, she didn't let go of his hand. The blond leader turned back to the squad and began to explain their predicament.

"The titans tunneled there way underneath the city and launched a surprise attack on us! All of us have to intercept the enemy and hold them off! Offer up your hearts!" the blond told his men bravely. He had changed from a timid young boy, to a full fledged killing man. His eyes had been hardened by the war. Just like Eren's eyes had when he lost everything he cared for. Their squads now mobilized toward the new battlefield.

The familiar feeling of boots hitting rubble to go to war felt different now. It felt as though they ran the exact opposite of where Eren wanted them to go. He was willingly going to war when he had Mikasa next to him. If he died here, then everything he had worked for would be sent up in smoke.

When they got to there, the front lines were in shambles. The titans had advanced further than his squad was lead on to believe, and there were very few troops fighting the titans at the moment. Eren was against some stone rubble for cover alongside Mikasa. His gun felt heavier when he shot now that he had found what he was looking for. His bullets carried more weight to them. He _had _to win.

Eren's targets were riddled with bullets as blood sprayed from their freshly opened wounds. Blood that poured thick like mud left the victim in agonizing pain as more bullets burst through their soon to be corpse. Mikasa's targets felt something different though. It only took one bullet to puncture their heart, head, or throat. Each one was dead before they hit the ground. She killed with close precision; Eren wasn't the only monster among his friends.

More and more survey corps soldiers fell to the advancing enemy. It was becoming too dangerous to stay in their position, but if they retreated and let the titans flood the city, the battle would be lost. Eren looked to his left and saw that Historia was hit in the arm. Sasha was fumbling with the bandages as she tried to wrap them around Historia's arm. This wasn't going to end well for his squad. He had to think of something and fast.

His green eyes found the grenade on his belt. Eren glanced over his cover to where the titans were coming in through. It was a bottleneck between two buildings. If he could block the path...it might just work. He leaned over and tapped Mikasa on the shoulder.

"I'm going to talk to Armin! Cover me!" he shouted above the chaos. She replied with a curt nod and determined look. Eren's feet moved quick against the ground as he ran towards Armin's position right next to him.

"I've got a plan! Whatever happens, don't let Mikasa come after me! I'm taking Bertholt with me, and on my signal retreat!" Eren's voice was slightly hoarse from yelling. Armin's blue eyes were covered in concern for what his friend was about to do, but he agreed nonetheless. Eren then relayed the same message to the rest of the troops.

"Now!" he shouted. With that the rest of the group sprinted to the designated rally point. Armin practically pulling Mikasa along. Her gray eyes met Eren's emerald eyes one last time before he was out of sight. She saw him smile softly and mouth the words, "I'm sorry. I love you." She also saw something that would scar her for the rest of her life. A single tear ran down his cheek.

She immediately tried to run back but was pulled down by Armin and Connie. As she struggled, her heart sank. _No. I can't lose him again. No!_

"Alright! Let's move!" Eren stared back at Bertholt's green eyes. Just as they jumped out from their cover to commence their plan, they heard a deep voice from behind.

"Not without me!" Reiner looked up at both of them as he climbed over the rubble and ran with them. "Thought you guys could use some help," he said with a mischievous smile. Eren just smiled and nodded.

Bullets rang out all around them as the enemy shot at them. They soon split into two groups heading toward the two buildings next to the entrance. The plan was to destroy the buildings so that the enemy could no longer get through. By the time they got explosives large enough to break open the entrance again, there'd be enough troops to destroy the intruders.

Eren got into his position after dispatching a few of the enemy. Bertholt was lucky that he had Reiner for cover fire. Eren had to do this quick if he wanted to get out alive without a bullet hole in his back. He fumbled with the ten grenades he had plucked from Armin, Sasha, and Connie. Eren threw the pouch that once held them to the side as he strategically placed them around the back of the building. _Now comes the hard part, _he thought.

Eren's green eyes narrowed as he sprinted after he pulled the pin from the first grenade. Five seconds. He then pulled out two more. Four seconds. Another two pins were pulled. Three seconds. He had to go faster. Three pins were pulled this time. Two seconds. Shit. He pulled the last two out but tripped and fell. He then hurriedly crawled as they went off behind him. In a flash Eren was covered with the remnants of the house that once stood there.

As he opened his eyes, he saw nothing but stone, wood, and dust. He quickly evaluated his body for injuries he could have sustained. After a thorough investigation of his body and situation, he determined he was trapped in this crap until he was found by either side. As he sat, he wondered if Bertholt and Reiner completed their end of the plan. His thoughts slowly shifted to a certain dark eyed Asian girl. Eren closed his eyes and envisioned the person he held dearest. He thought about how her hair looked pretty, even if she had cut it short. How her pale skinned hand contrasted against his tan rough hands when they intertwined fingers. How he could almost still taste her lips on his.

Eren sighed and opened his eyes as he heard voices getting closer. They spoke a with a rough tone. He knew what was in store for himself. _Damn. _He looked around once more for some way to get out. Although he didn't find what he was looking for, he spotted something almost as important. A boxy looking radio.

As his rough hands picked up the beaten machine, Eren thought hard about the frequency of Connie's radio. He picked up the black speaking device as he turned the nob to Connie's frequency.

"Hello? Can anyone here me? This is Eren Yeager of squad 8. Please respond," he said in an almost pleading voice. This was followed by static for a couple minutes until he heard a familiar voice.

"Eren? You still * crack * there?" Connie's voice never sounded so good.

"Yes," Eren practically shouted out of delight, "Is Mikasa there? Can you put her on the radio?" he asked worriedly. More static.

"Yeah, hold on," Eren then heard shuffling in the background.

"Eren?!" Mikasa's voice was filled with concern. Eren just sighed in relief. His muscles relaxed as he gained a smile on his weary features. He then held the black piece up to his mouth.

"Yeah I'm here. It's nice to hear your voice," he said tiredly but happily.

"Eren what the hell happened?! Why didn't you * snap * tell me your plan?! Where * crack * are you?" she asked still full of concern for her beloved.

"Listen, Mikasa I need to tell you something," Eren's voice stiffened as he got serious, "I"m going to be captured by the titans real soon. I can hear them digging me out right now. I don't have a lot of time left, so I'll spare you the details. I'm sure you'll here about them later."

"Eren," Mikasa's voice was weak with tears, "oh god why." Eren could hear her sobbing through the static.

"Mikasa, I still need a haircut pretty badly, so if you're not busy after this is done I'd like you to cut it for me. You used to love to when we were younger," he could hear her choked yes from the other side of the radio. "Also, I'd really like to take you out for dinner sometime. I hear they have some nice restaurants over in district Sheena." The titans were getting dangerously close to Eren's position. After he heard Mikasa say yes to his request he said one more thing. "They're almost here, so I'll have to cut this short. One more thing before I go, though. Mikasa," he paused as tears rolled off his cheeks, "I love you."

"Eren, promise, promise me, that you'll come back to take me out to dinner! I love you too! Dammit. Why?" her crying was getting harder. The titans were now just one rock away from finding Eren.

"I _promise. _Goodbye Mikasa."

The titans pulled the rock down and pointed their guns at Eren. Eren just dropped the radio and put his hands up. They roughly pulled him out of his make shift shelter. They ransacked his gear, taking all of his weapons. He was left in his gray under T-shirt, army pants, and boots. His dog tags and key hung around his neck. Eren glanced over to Bertholt and Reiner. They were captured as well and wore the same attire as Eren. The titans put him in shackles and chained Eren, Bertholt, and Reiner to several other Survey Corps members.

Green eyes were met by a large group of golden evening primroses as the troops were marched away from the city of Trost and onto certain doom.

**Heavy stuff. Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are amazing! Love them. New chapter will come soon.**


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